A day in the life
by Slea
Summary: The continuing Journal of Amy Rohrbach.
1. Dear diary

  
  
A Day in the life...  
The continuing Journal of Amy Rohrbach.  
  
  
Personal note: there will be no more dates in my diary. My therapist says that the time and date do not matter. To free my inner self, I first must come to terms with all the circumstances that make up my life, and decide whether I allow it to carve me into the person I want to be or chisel me to nothing.  
Me, I think I picked the wrong day to begin playing with sharp objects.  
  
  
  
ENTRY TWO  
  
  
Well this is the end of another day. I can't understand what it is about my new partner that makes me trust him, when all logic says he is one of Mac Arnot's cronies. I found myself telling him stuff that I have never told anyone but you. I always thought writing in a Diary was stress relief. You've always got the brunt of the stuff I couldn't deal with in this  
Godforsaken town. Now it seems I found a new outlet. You remember the kid don't you? "My Pet Rookie." Hair the color of a raven's wing, eyes as blue as the sky. No...Bluer. And the stature of a Greek God carved in all five foot ten inches of him. Geesh, I sound like a schoolgirl. At first, like everyone else, I thought that since Arnot had pulled all those strings to get him hired he was one of his insiders. Still after months of talking to him, I find it hard to believe he is anything but upfront to me. He does ask a lot of questions about this hellhole and its keystone cops. I almost didn't have to worry about it. Almost lost my first rookie.  
  
We were called to a disturbance at the harbor. The real bitch is we were on the other side of town. But we have come to expect that kind of Bludhaven bologna from the dispatchers. By the time we reached the response area, I expected the ruckus to be over with. Nope. It had only just begun. Something hit the windshield as we came into the blue light district. Actually, I heard it more than saw it, what I noticed was my partner get slammed backwards and his head smack into the plexiglass partition that separated the front seats from the back. Then our tire blew and another impact shattered the rear window, call me quick, but it was about this time I realized we were in big trouble. I managed to get the car under control and to a stop with the larger part of the car between the sniper and us. I also I pulled my semi-conscious partner across the seat and down to the ground. At the same time, I had my radio in my hand screaming 10-24:Officer down. Shots fired. Officers need assistance and for anyone who didn't realize it, you can do all that in one breath. I got a glimpse of a shadow on top of the Goldberg building and manage to report it just before it began to rain bullets again. At this point I decided to keep my head attached to my shoulder so keeping it down out of target sight would be the better part of valor.   
  
With the gunfire still biting the other side of the car, the kid rolled to his side coughing and sputtering on stale air that was being pushed aside with every attempt made to breathe. I tried to turn him on his back, but he pushed me away and himself back to his side eventually he pulled himself to a tight-seated ball.   
  
C'mon kid, let me take a look at it, " I growled but he remained coiled holding  
on to his chest. I finally coaxed him out of his defensive posture by doing something I have never done for any rookie. I said please. He looked stunned but before he knew it his arms were down at his side and I got a good look at what should have been a mortal injury. Unconsciously I touched the area and his arms quickly tightened to his chest   
  
"Oh God that smarts," he coughed. There was a large rip where the bullet struck him at center mass. All I could think was: he should be dead. Thank all that is holy that Rookies are required to wear bulletproof vest. I nearly choked when he responded to what he saw. I was expecting him to pass out or something, but instead he just looked down and said. "Shit, looks like I'm gonna have to pay for another uniform."   
  
He almost acted as if this was an everyday thing for him. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Smart-ass kid somehow knows how to get to me. I ripped open the shirt to make sure it didn't penetrate the breastplate of the body armor. Bludhaven is not exactly known for its quality equipment. Couldn't believe my eyes his body armor wasn't Bludhaven  
Issue. It was top of the line like big time cops in Metropolis and Gotham use. Have a friend who works it Metropolis metro. It saved his life on more than one occasion. He must have seen the curious look in my eyes; because he answered my question before I could ask it.  
  
"My girlfriend's father is police commissioner in Gotham city. He gave it to me as a graduation present, " He coughed. His girlfriend is the daughter of Commissioner Gordon. The man is a legend. Hell any good cop that lives long enough to make it through the ranks the hardway like he did has to be. But it just gives me another question. Why is a kid like him working in a cop killing town like Bludhaven if he could probably go anywhere he wanted.   
  
  
I finally made out the sounds of sirens in the distance. I remembered thinking "bout damn time." Still dodging an occational spray of bullets as well as broken glass.   
  
I confronted him with the curiosity of why if he was that close to the Commissioner of Police in Gotham, he is a Bludhaven cop instead of a Gotham cop? He laughed.  
For the longest moment I thought he was shell-shocked or something. Then he repeated the question. And laughed some more. I remember thinking I was going to choke the answer from his throat just before he answered. He said "I didn't want anyone to think I had got the job because of my connections. Or any other deceitful means."   
  
As one of the many who thought he was one of Arnot's boys I think I see the joke. Boy, did he pick the wrong town, or what.  
  
When the gunfire stopped, we found our selves surrounded buy Bludhaven's elite terrorist squad. Another, not so clean-cut group of this towns meanest and ugliest cops. Two ground assault tanks took up point in front of our Swiss cheese cruiser. And without any warning, fired on the building the suspect was on. The Building exploded and came crashing to the ground. Then before I knew what was happening, I had 15 cops armed to the teeth and two paramedics between my partner and me. He was shuffled off to a waiting Rescue truck, shoved dramatically into the back of the unit, and Lieutenant Larimore was in my face. "What the hell happened here? "  
  
I remember his face in mine. Then the next thing I knew, my face was in his. To be honest, I don't know what I said but whatever it was it had him backing up, yelling at me to watch my mouth. Ha. One block from my destination and my windshield was shattered. My partner was bounced off the back of the seat. Our tires were shredded wheat and my car was Swiss cheese, and he wants me to "watch my mouth". I matched  
him glare for glare and when the silence got too much to handle I turned and walked away.   
  
I found my partner giving the paramedics a hard time and still holding his own against Arnot who seemed to be getting on his last nerve. If this is one of Inspector Brain Dead's ass kissers, he ain't working on brownie points tonght. By the time I got there, the conversation had stopped and if looks could kill we would be short one bad cop in Bludhaven.  
  
I am not sure whom I thought I was going to save by walking in on their conversations but hell he was my partner. I f his butt is going in the "sling", my butt should be right there with him. God, what a thought.  
  
"How you doing partner? " I asked. Talk about your stupid questions. I was staring at a bruise as large as Texas that blemished his perfect body. For some reason, I couldn't get my eyes to move from that spot. He must have said something cause the next thing I knew I was seeing a flash of a hand being waved in front of my eyes. Man, I didn't think I could get that many shades of red. He looked at his own chest then up at me smiled and repeated himself. "Despite what everyone wants to believe, I am just fine. It's just a bruise. "  
  
This is when things got worse Arnot put his hands on my shoulder. "Well Sergeant, your partner was lucky. You damn near got the kid shot right out from under you."  
  
I wasn't ready for that and I suppose I should have been. I still can't believe he said that and more important that I didn't cold cock him right there but something in me agreed with him. I screwed up.   
  
The one thing you don't let people like Arnot do is see that they have the upper hand. Something dad taught me and his dad taught him. Like any other dog he knew the smell of fear and took full advantage of it. He pulled me in to his grasp as if to hug me, then informed me that he was "pretty sure," that I was not solely at fault since I was probably not train correctly myself. Besides the kid was still in one piece so it was "no harm, no foul. Then announced that my partner and myself would be going to the hospital and then after all the right forms were filled out we would be put on temporary leave with pay ending investigation I showered for two hours trying to get the sensation of that scum's hand on my shoulder off. I am still not sure I can face the kid come the end of the investigation.  
  



	2. A Hunting Lesson

A Day in the life

A Day in the life...

The continuing Journal of Amy Rohrbach

ENTRY THREE 

A Hunting lesson.

They said that if you take your aggressions out in the Gym it will allow you to be more calm and clear headed in the streets. I don't think they were talking about me.

I had been working out at the station's Gymnasium for about an hour when He showed up. Rookie or not he is one hell of a cop. The day after getting shot point blank in the chest, he's in the offices talking with the Lieutenant and acting chief. Actually Duncan said he was yelling at them. I can't imagine that.

I had spent the morning in the same room but I was blessed with Arnot as well. I just loved being told how I nearly got the kid killed and how if I had followed the PSO, none of that would have happened. I asked him what PSO's would that have been. He said, "the ones referring to waiting for back up before entering a scene." Boy, you can tell neither of these jerks read the reports. Anyway I told them, I was a block from the original call when WE BECAME the scene. Then they asked me why the rookie wasn't driving the vehicle at the time. I told them that it wasn't his day to. Boy that went over well. 

Needless to say, I have a feeling I was told if we ever get ambushed again I am to throw my body in front of my rookie and take the bullet. To top the whole thing off, because of all this I may lose my stripe. It was right about here where he stepped into the room and right about here when they had to restring the heavy bag. And I ran in to the women's shower room. I am not sure I am even going to get the kid back as a partner. Hell, I am not even sure I want this job anymore. Did you know that if you cry in the shower people still know you have been crying?

By the time I got the nerve to come out of the locker room, the kid was taking out his aggressions on some mouthy co-worker who must have made some comment about last night cause I heard was the kid saying something to Deluise about if he had been his shoes, his socks would have been wet. Strange how telling a man (who by the way was a good six inches taller and hundred pounds heavier than the kid.) … how telling him he would have pissed himself will start an all out war.I saw the man swing on MY rookie and after that all I saw was red. By the time we were pulled off of the other four guys, the Lieutenant was hauling us back to his office...again.

We must have been in the room for fifteen minutes before anyone attempted to say anything. The Lieutenant paced for ten of them and sat in the chair and stared at us for the rest of the time. You could tell Tommy Faraday really didn't want the job of Chief; he was too damn good at it. Me, I was seeing another day or two added on to our temporary leave time, this time unpaid. The kid fidgeted like a cat on a hot tin roof. You could tell he really didn't like having all this attention. But it was there plain as the newly broken nose on Deluise face (the other three guys were already on their way to the hospital.)

"What do you think I should do, you two?" he asked finally asked. It was one of those rhetorical questions that mom used to ask. You know the ones that you knew she really didn't want you to answer. Well Deluise tried to answer it. Which of course proves morons are hatched and left to fend for himself.

"Wha shud ya do? Dey boke my doze.Mar'in Bown and Aus'in are headen to da 

hosbital. And you ask dem wha shud ya do?" Deluisee did his best to sound threatening while blood still dripped from his nose.

"Yeah, Deluise," the lieutenant barked, "What do they think I should do?" He got directly into the moron's face. "I am short four men for the next shift because you and three experienced Officers decided to attack a wounded Rookie in the gym... and LOST. I saw the whole thing. If they wanted to they could very easily have you arrested."

"Dey awest me? Dey boke my doze! We was jus playing wit da kid."

"You ever been hunting, Deluise?"

Moron shook his head so hard I could have sworn I heard some of his teeth rattle.

"Of course not. Because if you had, you would have known you never play with a wounded animal they tend to be "cranky". And Never EVER attack a cub when momma bear is around."

I thought I heard a snort come from the kid but by the time I got my head turned to confront him he was back in line.

"Now take you happy ass home and don't let me see it again till Friday."

"Da inspeckor ain gonna like dis," Deluise mumbled as he stepped out of the room.

Faraday slammed the door behind the moron. Then began to turn his attention on us. "Now," he yelled, "back to the question at hand."As soon as he lowered the blinds to his office he sat back down in his chair. "Have as seat you two."

We both pulled chairs up towards the desk and sat quietly in them only daring to glance at each other once.

"Just in case," Faraday announced in a voice much lower than before, "you haven't caught on. You two seem to have made some enemies in the force. Some very 'big' enemies." Dick both glanced back at each other then back at the Lieutenant. "Kid I gotta tell you, you got balls the size of the empire state building.Telling Deluise he couldn't find his way out of a donut shop, that was cute. Maybe not bright, but definitely true. Look you in case you guys have not figured it out one of you seem to have made Arnot's shit list."He turned and looked at me."Kid, let me let you in on some news ...Bludhaven PD. Is where good cops come to learn how to be bad cops or die. Amy and I have no family so they can't threaten us with that.But she does have you. I have known this little girl when she was just twinkle in her daddy eyes. She may not be trusting of her charges at least not until she has worked with them but good or bad she is very protective of them while in her charge.

"I gotta say I think you'll be a good cop one day kid or a dead one. I think you should rethink your priorities while you can. Your hometown has a great force." I saw a hint of a smile cross the rookie's face. That is when Tommy got serious. "Last night was not just a fluke. You two were set up."

"So why do you think they were after the kid?" I piped up probably sounding way too casual with a commanding officer.

"Yeah, I haven't even done anything...yet," Dick agreed.

"My guess is it's time for the letter to go out. But last night. I think they tended to kill Amy."

Ok, if he wanted my attention he got it. I have spent many a year in this hell hole staying out of friendly fire range spend a week or two with this kid and the next thing I know I am the target. On the upside the kid wasn't happy.

"Why Amy?" he growled then added, "Sir." Almost as an after thought.

"Because your Daddy is Daddy Warbucks kid. They are not going to shoot the son of the Goose who could lay the golden egg.My guess is they are going to start sending your daddy love letters soon."

My guess?That was a reference to his foster father Bruce Wayne. Theeeeeee Bruce Wayne.

"Love letters?" he asked.

"You know the kind, kid," I said. "It's a dangerous world out there. Blah blah blah... We can't always be there to protect your son... blah blah blah... Bludhaven is a rough town. It's not easy being a cop in this burg but depending on 'how much' you love your son we may be able to find a way to protect him."

If I had been killed, it would have given them the leverage to show how dangerous this job was.That's when I realized I wasn't going anywhere.BAM!It hit me like a ton of bricks when he stood up and announced, "Sir I want to be reassigned to a different supervisor."

"That would make two of us, kid," Tommy established."But it ain't gonna happen. First of all, I seriously doubt she would let me do that"

"Damn Straight!" I announced over the Lieutenant's voice.

He quickly glared at me and continued, "And I am sure Arnot would have a say in this. You would probably end up with someone like Deluise or Martin and if they couldn't turn you to a bad cop they would take you out themselves. No, it is best if you two keep together as long as you can but keep close. I am fairly sure that they will not try that again for a while.They will try to use the fact you would have been killed last night if you hadn't been wearing that vest as their ace in the hole."The kid was not happy. That is when Tommy lowered the boom. "Dick, I think it would be to your advantage to quit the force."

"Not going to happen," the kid growled.

"Think about it. They will eventually go after Wayne."

"Bruce, can take care of himself."

"Well consider yourself forewarned. What you choose to do with that information is up to you. But if you're gonna stay, I suggest you sleep with your weapon under your pillow. Get the picture?"

"Got it."

"Good, now you two get the hell out of my office."

As we walked out of the building he stopped at my car and sighed, "Amy, I don't want to get you killed, but..."

"But you have to prove to yourself and your father that you wont run at the first sign of trouble." I finished for him to his surprise."I've been there kid.

"Daddy's little girls sometimes have a lot to prove to the world almost as much as the foster son of millionaire. For me, it was that I could do as well as any boy. My guess is, it's not so different for a Circus kid taken in by a rich guy. You'll make it."

He smirked for a minute opened my car door and let me in. then as I started the engine he started to walk away (what a view.)Then he turned back and smiled (not a bad view either.) Then he yelled, "Thanks again... MOMMA BEAR!"


	3. Never alone

A Day in the life

A Day in the life...

The continuing Journal of Amy Rohrbach

Based on the Target time line, contains spoilers

Entry Four

_Never Alone_   
  


What started out as a bad week had blossomed into total chaos. 

At first I thought it was just my day to be in the "lion's den". I got to work to find my desk covered in piles on piles of forms. I have no clue where they had been hiding, but somehow they managed to find and take refuge on my desk. If that wasn't bad enough, Grayson was late again -- the second time this week. I considered putting him to work in the file room. That would have taught him a lesson; it would have taken him a week to find his way out of there. Instead I tossed him the keys to the squad and sent him out on his own. It gives me a headache thinking how dumb that move proved to be. 

I had long since given up believing that Grayson was part of Arnot's Goons. The proof came that day when he ended up clashing with a part of Bludhaven's Worst. I had been monitoring most of his movements. It was nearly dusk when he left the car and went in foot pursuit of two signal 12's suspicious persons and four fellow officers who darted out in front of his car. Nearly an hour later someone called for an ambulance and the meat wagon. Thirty minutes later I found out that Miller was spreading some crap about Grayson going nuts and beating two kids in the Zee Moores. It took all four officers to get him off them, and when that didn't work to their satisfaction, they cracked him in the skull. Grayson and one of the kids were taken to Rabe Memorial; the other was taken to the morgue. 

I got to the hospital in what must have been record time. He had not regained consciousness yet. Detective Addad told me I might as well go home -- when the rookie awoke Addad was going to be getting his verbal report, and then my rookie became property of the dogs from I.A. The down side of being a cop in the United States is that, unlike the Criminal element, in the eyes of the Internal Affairs office we are guilty until proven innocent. It has actually become a goal in our office to keep it that way. After all, you were easier to control if they could hang something on ya. It was nearly 2 hours after I got to the hospital before Dick regained consciousness. The doctors said he was lucky that despite the severity of the concussion there was no fracture. 

Addad was there when his eyes opened. I can think of worse sights to wake up to. I wasn't allowed anywhere near his room -- the mooks from I. A. didn't want me interfering in the investigation. I just returned to my seat in the waiting room. That is where Addad found me when he came out. 

"I thought I sent you home," he whispered as he plopped himself down in the chair next to me and began rubbing his temples gingerly with his fingers. I didn't say anything. He finally looked up and announced that the kid said it was Miller and the others who beat the kids. My first instinct was to do my impression of Homer Simpson. "DUH!" After all, you were talking about 4 cops and 2 thugs against one rookie. After thinking about it, I came straight out with the question. "What do YOU think?" 

He glared at me for a moment. I wasn't sure he was going to answer, but I wasn't going away and he knew it. 

"Does it matter, Amy?" he said. "By the time Arnot, Miller, I.A., and the media get done with him there will not be enough left to make a decent can of dog food." 

Addad is not a bad cop. He's not even a bad person. He's just more careful about what he does or says, but if you read between the lines you'll find the answers. The media had not been alerted yet; if they had they would have been swarming on that hospital, the station, and the rookie's home. 

Grayson was in interrogation when I returned to the station the next day. Someone told me he was taken from the hospital against Medical advice, and he had been in there ever since. I got there in time to see I.A. leave the room and meet with Arnot, who left the monitor room that was adjacent to the mirrored interrogation room. When they got far enough away, I took the opportunity to duck into the monitor room. The rookie didn't look very good. His head was resting on the wooden table. It was a short-lived rest as Arnot joined him in the interrogation room. The inspector told him that Redhorn was going to hang him out to dry. He had only one option, and that was to follow the script. Admit to the crime -- the worst that would happen would be he would lose his shield and have to do some time for manslaughter. Then came the real threats: "Remember that you're still one of us. As long as you stick with the official story. You stray from the script… you're alone." 

I wanted to break through that tempered glass and tell him he wasn't alone. And I will be damned before I let him think he was, but in Bludhaven you choose your battles just like you choose your words. The war has just begun. 

Rumors in the locker rooms were that there was an information black out until Redhorn or Arnot were certain everyone was on the same page. The papers and television stations are under Redhorn's thumb too, so there was very little worry about a leak until Redhorn was ready to leak it. Unfortunately, I was so busy thinking about what Arnot said, I didn't see him leave the interrogation room. He caught me trying to slip out of the monitoring room. He corralled me into his office, and by the time they believed I didn't know anything, Grayson had already been released on his own recognizance. Not a normal move and definitely unexpected. I am sure they used some stupid line like "Don't leave town." My guess is they were hoping he would rabbit on them. He would become an armed fugitive and give them every reason to track him down and shoot him. A dead cop was not going to give them much back talk. I was sure they had a "tail" on him, and I was pretty sure he would realize it as well. 

Sure enough as I got to my car, I caught the confirmation on my police band radio. Grayson went straight home. The kid's butt had to be dragging. The closest thing he had to sleep since he reported to work almost twenty-four hours ago was the time he spent unconscious at the hospital. I decided to let the kid sleep and get some z's myself. I wouldn't be doing him much good if I wasn't rested enough to out think Arnot. 

He must have been asleep when I knocked. He was only half dressed when he answered the door, dragging a shirt behind him like a child's security blanket. He still looked peaked. He said he thought I was his lawyer. I pretended to be insulted, but I guess he was in no mood to kid around. I was really insulted when he asked if I was there to pile on him too, but I wasn't going to let him know. I wasn't going to do anything more than make light of his comment. Things were already too stressed between cops in this town. 

You can tell my pet rookie lives alone -- his apartment décor consists of take out boxes and cereal bowls. After clearing a way to a chair, he excused himself while he washed up. One day I will tell him about the reflection from his television screen. I never realized how many muscles moved in the action of brushing your teeth. But back to the story. 

It took a while, but I finally got it through his thick skull that I was going to help him whether he wanted it or not. I think he was worried about my rep. Or my safety, but I told him I was less likely to get hurt if I knew what I was looking for. And we didn't have much time to do this. 

He told me what he remembered of the call. As I figured, Miller sent him into the cellar not realizing who it was. My guess is when he found the rookie pulling the other clowns off the injured kids, he clobbered him on the head. But before he was hit, Dick said he saw the kids' faces. It wasn't the kids they had been chasing. He said he saw the kids' faces as plain as day when they ran in front of him. He was right to not tell anyone else about that. They were probably witnesses to what happened. If Miller hasn't figured it out, he will soon enough. 

Dick gave me a description of the two kids and then one of a Housing cop that Miller was fighting with before he got to the scene. That would be Walter. Good guy. Things started to look up. He thanked me before I left. I told him that was what I do, and I would let him know what I found when I found it. He said he meant for believing him. I smiled. I told "We're partners. In this town there is no one else you can count on." 

Like any good cop, I immediately followed my lead. I headed for the Moores to talk to the Bludhaven housing police department's finest. Armed with some banana nut muffins, Walter and I sat down and chatted about what went on that night. I told him the kid was my partner, and I didn't believe he could have done what they claimed he did. He laughed. 

"I would have to agree, Amy," he said, stuffing his face. "The kid excused himself when he broke up Miller's and my screaming match. That don't sound like the kinda person who would be able to beat to death a kid while holding off four of the 'haven's dirtiest. Actually you're not the only one interested in this, Amy. Some dude in a mask came by, sporting two police issued PR-24's. He wanted to know about the two guys you described." 

He handed me a photocopy of the pictures he gave the other guy. He must have seen me bristle at the thought that this guy was running around in my town. Everyone on the force knows about the smug kid that runs loose in this town, but this didn't sound like Nightwing. One day I would like to personally thank him for saving Arnot from that nut case that took the station… not . 

This sounded like we had a new wannabe. I think I am gonna paint a message on the side of the tallest building in 'haven… WE DON'T NEED YOUR HELP… GO BACK TO GOTHAM. 

After getting all the 411 on the perps, I went to pay a visit to Alvie's mom. I was late. Miller had already been there. I found her and her infant daughter huddled by a heater, the cold billowing through her front door that had been shattered by HPD. I called in some favors and had a friend out to her house. They replaced the doorframe and door while I took her and her the baby to the Church. Father Michaels would let her stay until the repairs were completed. She wasn't able to give me much more than what she gave Miller. But then I remembered something. I asked her what Alvie's favorite fast foods were. Like any kid, anything that didn't outrun him was fair game. But there was one quirk in his take out orders -- he would only eat Dice's Pizza because they were the only ones that would cover his pie with jalapenos. Next stop was the only Dice's in the Moores. 

Luck was with me. The call came in for a delivery on a construction trailer on the far side of the district. A fifty dollar tip to the manager, and I had my in. Tucking my hair and gun in the jacket, I became the fugitives' best friend -- "the pizza delivery boy." 

Taking them down was easy enough. I was on my way to read them their rights when I heard trouble running full tilt for the door. The door exploded open, and the first shot just barely missed my head. By inches. The rest of them didn't seem to have a particular direction. Maybe that was because the four shots I spent hit one of them in the head and the other center mass. 

Biggs and Alvie talked. They had been hiding in the basement and had seen the whole thing. Grayson had tried to stop Miller's guys from killing the other two kids when Miller knocked him out. Miller's on his way to some serious time. 

Later that evening I heard that the new vigilante calling himself "The TARGET" captured and trussed up Miller and his goon. Some of the guys caught up with Miller's partner in crime who was really pissed and sang louder then Alvie and Biggs. So in his own way, this masked avenger was helpful. The coffee shop gossip is that it may be a retired cop 'cause of the getup made of what looked like an old padded commando style sweater and mask they used in the old SWAT teams before they went paramilitary, and he carried not one but two PR-24 batons and used both proficiently. Still, I find it hard to believe a cop, even an ex-cop, could think it's ok to violate the rules to make the laws work. Although in his own way this dude did help clear my rookie and bring down another bad cop, so I suppose I should at least try to be a little more open-minded. 

All in all, we got lucky -- the good guys win again. In 'haven, it doesn't happen often. The kid was reinstated and given back pay and mandatory leave. I am on a three-day suspension with pay until there has been an inquiry into the deaths of two really dirty cops. Not much of a follow through -- there was too much outside media on this one. But Grayson was with me every day. When I told him to go home, get some rest, I would make his life miserable soon enough, he flashed that million-watt smile and said "Sorry Sergeant. We're partners. In this town, there is no one else you can count on." 

Maybe not, but things are looking better all the time.


	4. Deaf Ears

A Day in the life...

The continuing Journal of Amy Rohrbach

DEAF EARS

Chocolate! NO, Double Choco-Chocolate Chip with peanuts and whip cream. And don't give me that hardening of the arteries spiel. I have come to the conclusion that I will die of a massive coronary before the rookie is off his first year's probation. 

The day started quiet.  Hell, the last week had been a real snooze.  The highlight of my week was when we stopped to eat on Monday. We went to this dive called the Six o' Clubs Diner, and Dick Grayson (the rookie) introduced me to the waitress and her 6 year old daughter Andrea. 

Andy, as he called her, is both deaf and mute. According to her mom, Margie, the child had been somewhat of a recluse until she met Officer Grayson.  I smiled as I told her he has that effect on a lot of women. She laughed. 

When I asked how they met, she told me that he had said hello to her daughter one day while she was sitting alone on the curb.

 "Ever the protective mom, I came running from the laundry room, yelling at him to leave her alone. He just smiled and introduced himself. He told me that someone had told him there was a little deaf girl that lived in this housing development and they thought he might know someone who could help her. I don't know who would even know since we had just recently moved here and had not even enrolled her in school yet." Margie flinched, as if there were more to the story of her daughter not being in school, but I didn't push it. I have seen enough in my career to recognize the fear of the system. I have seen my share of single, low-income parents with handicap children that have had their children taken from them for the child's good. It's not always for the best, but sometimes it is. 

 She cleared her throat and continued. 

"He gave me a phone number of a clinic in Gotham and said that when I was ready, I should call it.  The Doctor would schedule time to come out to the house and give her a complete check up, and based on her diagnosis she will start treating her.  If her hearing problem cannot be reversed she can still learn to speak. I wasn't sure it was a good idea. I didn't like the thought of her being teased by others cause she was different."

" I thought a long time before I made the call," She continued, "But some…one told me I was being selfish not giving her a chance for some normalcy, so I called. The test said she was born deaf, which I had thought as much." "Her father beat me the day she was born, causing her to be born a little early. The doctors wanted to do tests but I couldn't stay in the same town for fear her father would make good on his threat and kill 'his little bastard child.'"

After hearing her say those words, I remember needing to go beat the crap out of a couple of men just for the hell of it. Andy was a beautiful little girl who seemed well-taken care of. Margie said that I would not have known that same little girl if I had met her a couple of weeks ago. "Good to his word the day after the Doctors appointment the doctor came back with the results and Allison, a student a Gotham University and our tutor." 

Margie continued, "I told her I didn't take hand outs and she told me it was not a hand out. By letting Allison teach us she was getting credit for her degree in teaching. And once a week I would be picked up and taken to her clinic to help with filing and some cleaning.  Dick also got me the job here. Imagine my shock when I found out he was a cop here in Bludhaven. NO offense." She defended. 

"None taken," I assured her. 

"Just look at her now. That's my little girl," she shined. I looked over to find the little girl and my rookie in deep conversation with their hands. I didn't know he even knew sign language. When I confronted him with it later that night he said he also spoke some Spanish, some French, some German, some Italian, and Rom. "You can't be raised in a circus without knowing or learning a little of all of it."

 Margie told me she had some problems with her landlord after he found out Andy had a tutor. He was all set to toss them out of their one room apartment in the Baxter Building on 5th, because he believed if they could finance a tutor then they can afford to pay him more.

 I can assure you that place isn't worth what anyone is paying now. Not to say that the Baxter building was a slum area but most of the kids have pet rats the size of Pit bull dogs.  It seems nothing ever came of the incident with the landlord. Even though the doctor and Margie waited all day to explain to him how she could have a tutor without a large income. In fact, Margie said the landlord hasn't even returned to pick up this months rent.

We had been chatting at the table for nearly an hour when the baby-sitter, Dana, came by to picked Andy up to take her home. Seems my partner found this angel of mercy as well.  The story I got there was Dana and her little girl Tanya where living in the street after her husband was killed in an automobile accident and they lost their apartment. Not such and unusual story here in Bludhaven. Dick got them an apartment in the same building on the top floor. So she picks up five of the apartment kids after school and takes them to her home.  Now five of the tenants have a baby-sitter and a way to get better paying job, and Dana has an income, a place to stay, as well as money to buy essentials.

Yep, that's my partner: two sides of a very complex coin, both lamb and lion. Either way he was never looking for the glory like most of the department, he really did just want to help others. I guess that is why he did what he did last shift. 

The call came in as a fire on Fifth Street. I didn't recognized address until the rookie executed a perfect 180 in the middle of six pm rush hour traffic, and we pulled up on the Baxter building 3 minutes later.

Margie ran up to us as soon as we got there; the building looked like it was really cooking. Tears were streaming from her desperate eyes as she told us that Andy was still in the building. Dick folded the hysterical woman in his arms as I relayed the information to the fire chief, who said that he was sorry to hear that, but he was pulling all of his men out now. Next thing I knew my partner was heading up the front steps into the engulfed building that fire fighters were fleeing from.

 I guess it was my sense of responsibility 'cause I know it wasn't common sense that took over me, but I found myself hot on his heels and I do mean 'hot'. He was taking the stairs two and three steps at a time. I really believe that he could have gone faster if I wasn't behind him, he kept looking back at me. The third floor was just starting to cook, the sitter apartment was on the fifth and Margie's was on the fourth.

 According to the sitter, Andy was with them when she and the other children were heading down the back stairs, also known as the fire escape. But when they reached the bottom she was gone…Tanya said she let go of her hand at the forth floor. She tried to call her mom but figured she couldn't hear her. At least we had a clue now; the fourth floor meant that she was probably heading to her apartment. Unfortunately the smoke from the fire was quickly making its way through that area. I couldn't see my hands in front of my face, but I could hear what sounded like things collapsing all around us. 

Dick pulled me to the floor as we reached Margie's apartment. I called out to her, totally forgetting she was deaf until he reminded me. Mother's instinct I guess. My partner led me around the room by following the walls. We found her hiding in the bathroom tub; she was cradling a small kitten in her hands. 

The smoke had barely started to penetrate the small room until we opened the door and it fallowed us in like a thief. I was coughing like an eighty-year-old smoker with a cold by the time we found her. Grayson didn't even seem to be effected by the deadly fumes. He tucked the kitten into my jacket, put wet towels around our noses and mouths, and led Andy and me back out to the smoke filled living area to the only window in the apartment as if he had done this rescue thing all his life. Then with out a thought he tossed a dining room chair out the window. 

As soon as the window broke the smoke seemed to get thicker and the fire hotter. Grayson helped us out on to the ledge of the dilapidated old building and held onto us as smoke billowed from were he stood in the window frame.  To my surprise and luck the chair managed to get the attention of the firefighters, and we weren't there long before the ladder truck quickly moved under the window. A firefighter quickly took the frighten child and began down the ladder. 

 By now the smoke was getting to Dick. He pushed me further out the window onto the crumbling ledge. The old ledge would have not held the total of our weight so he remained in the window. I couldn't stop coughing so he held on to me until the next firefighter grabbed me. He no sooner had me than I heard someone yell out it "was going!" I looked down to see the third floor turn pitch black with an eerie organic red glow, and then suddenly it exploded. Someone said later it almost looked as the whole top half of the building popped up and landed back down on the columns. 

I never noticed hitting the bottom of the ladder, hell I don't remember anything but the sound of glass shattering and the pelting of debris. The firefighter clung to me as the ladder rocked back and forth. I was sure it was going to be blown off its moorings. Dick was nowhere to be seen as flames shot from the window were he stood just moments before. I just recall the Chief and two other officers holding me back as I struggled to get up and go back to the building. They apologized for my loss but there was nothing more anyone could do. I remember the chief saying, "He's in the hands of God now." Funny, when this whole thing started I wouldn't have believed this man knew God.

I stared back at the building, watching as flames broke threw the roof and most of the windows. The water pressure was low in this area so what little water hit the building quickly evaporated into a white smoke. Margie and Andy came running to my side. One look in their tear filled eyes reality hit and I fell apart. God, I felt helpless.

I knew an old woman who once told me that if you stare into the heart of a fire long enough you will seed the devil himself emerge from the flames. She was right! I stared blankly at the inferno that now seem to swallowed up the building and I saw him appear, his blackened body silhouetted by the blaze. His horns were standing prominently on either side of his head. 

Then as he got closer, or my head cleared, I noticed it was not the Lucifer of the Bible stories but the self- proclaimed protector of Gotham.

My stupor was broken through by the sound of medics rummaging thru their equipment behind me.

"Tommy! Grab the O2 unit and the burn kit," one of them ordered, "I have the drug box."

"Right behind you, dude." Tommy responded. "Batman in Bludhaven, How cool is that.  Stations 22 ain't ever going to believe this."

"Yea," the other medic returned "That is one lucky cop."

It was the word cop that sent me reeling. I finally realized that Batman had been carrying something under his cape, my wayward partner. 

I rushed to his side. He was unconscious, but alive. His face was covered in soot and a bit red, and his hands were slightly blistered, but other than that he seemed unharmed. Tommy was placing an O2 mask over his face when he confirmed he was Ok by hacking up some of the smoke he swallowed. 

I stood up to thank the Dark Knight, only to find not only was he gone, but no one saw him leave. So I return to my duties as a training officer and began reaming out my young partner. Not for going in the building, I'm sure the Chief of the FD will get with Redhorn and do that the day he gets back on duty. No, he scared the crap out of me … again. I had more gray hair since the day he became my partner than I ever had before. I ranted and stuttered; hem and hawed; then started ranting all over again.

 He fought with the paramedics about his need for the O2 mask; he kept pulling it off saying he was fine. They kept putting it on and saying let the doctors decide. Didn't matter, it just gave me more to bark about. Then next thing I knew Andy, the little girl who had been our reason for going in to the inferno, came up beside me, moving everyone out of the way to hug "our hero".  Margie and I watched as the hug finally broke into a lot of hand signs.

"She wants to know if the kitten is ok," Dick interpreted.

I had forgotten all about the kitten. To be honest I was a little afraid to find out with the little girl standing there, but as soon as I unzipped my jacket a beautiful set of eyes, one blue and one gray peered out at her and mewed.  Andy quickly extracted the critter and after it suffered through the child's loving hug it got passed back to me. And the hands began to fly again. Dick interpreted again. "She said she is sorry for causing so much trouble but she had to go find Grayson the Cat."

Dick then interpreted his own words as he replied. "I know Grayson is special to you but you must never, for any reason, leave the one who is caring for you. Whether it is your mom, miss Leslie, Allison, Dana or even your teachers at school. You could have been hurt or worse then what would we have done." 

She apologized 

"Yea!" I interrupted her "I accept her apology …but Rookie your not getting off that easy!"

And again Andy's hands broke out in words. 

 Dick began to snicker then looked up at me, and he and Margie broke out in a full belly laugh, which for him lead to a cough, then both. When she could finally talk Margie interpreted. "She said she was really sorry she got him in trouble and that she was certain he was in big trouble 'cause you are yelling loud enough to wake the deaf."

Grayson will be back on duty in the morning. He got a clean bill of health about 15 minutes after he got to the hospital, but we were made to stay over night for observation, and the hero got another day off afterwards. Since they don't allow yelling in the hospital, I have spent the night brooding over this damned Diary and that bowl of ice cream. I even talked to my husband about what happened.  All he could seem to say is …. "BATMAN WAS THERE?"... MEN !!! URRRRRRRGHHH.

I guess in the long run, Dick just did what he had to do. I don't know what I would do if anything like that had happened to my family. It's nice to know that someone like him is around, heaven forbid it should come to that; still I will be damned if I am going to let him get off that easy. Not that he would ever listen… I may not know sign language but I do know when my words are falling on deaf ears. 


End file.
